I think about those who have gone before us and bought our freedom much more often than on Veteran’s Day. I think Veteran’s Day is one of our most important national remembrances, but I think it would be well for us to remember our Vets every day.
Living in the Washington, D.C. Metro we get to see lots of Vets through the course of each year. I once did a photo essay on the new World War II Memorial Click here to see that photo essay. I was also blessed to do a photo essay marking the reunion of “The Greatest Generation” here in Washington. Click here to see that photo essay. One of the great honors of m entire life was to attend the funeral at Arlington National Cemetery of Nathan White, an LDS pilot shot down over Iraq. Click here to see that moving photo essay. Today I just wanted to share with you eleven images of some of my heroes.
Do you realize there are three remaining Veterans of World War I? Claude Stanley Choules of Briton now resides in Perth, Australia at age 108. John Henry Babcock of Canada survives at age 109 and is the oldest survivor. Frank Woodruff Buckles also survives at age 109 and lives in West Virginia.
Of the 16 million who served from the United States during WW II, approximately 2.8 million are still alive. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that about 1,100 WW II vets die each day.
Every year in Fairfax, Virginia we have a wonderful parade on the 4th of July. My favorite part of the parade is when the World War II veterans go by in a float. I cry every time. I’ve included a few pictures of them herein. I also included three pictures I took the day before Veteran’s Day at Dulles Airport the other night as a group of about 50 World War II Vets arrived and about 100 Boy Scouts were there to greet them and give them a heroes’ welcome. Please click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.
I end with a picture that is not mine but was sent to us by one of our loyal readers in California. It is worth going through the pictures and just looking at this last shot. It is entitled Generations of Valor and indeed speaks more than a thousand words.
This is when the floodwaters start for me. I love the mixture of children, flags and vets.
I look at this man and think, “Here is one of those handsome young men that went off to war and bought my freedom. I shall forever be grateful to you, sir.”
These men have such radiant faces. I love to clap for them and salute them and just say “thank you!”
Brave young men get old. They put on weight. They have hearing aids. They lose their good eyesight. They slow down. And just looking at them I get a lump in my throat.
Can’t you just picture this handsome man in those early days of 1942 when we just entered the war? I am so proud to be an American. Patriotism flows through every fiber of my being.
The flags and these Vets just go together.
I love it when the Vets will hand out a few flags to the young onlookers of the parade. It feels like passing the baton to a new generation.
I arrived home the night before Veteran’s Day at Washington Dulles a few days ago only to have about 50 World War II Vets come in just behind me. I had to take a few pictures. The Boy Scouts were cheering at the top of their lungs. I could not help but feel emotional and happy.
Oh how grateful I am for men like this Vet. I truly cannot fully express my thanks.
These Vets once pushed through almost insurmountable odds in a war that would see the human toll exceed 70,000,000 people. The freedom of the entire world hung in the balance in those days. What a debt of gratitude we owe to men like this!
Generations of Valor: I cannot look upon this picture without nearly weeping uncontrollably in gratitude. This is the picture of two very brave men. This is truly valor.
Heartfelt eternal thanks to all the Veterans of all wars.
